BOXING: ANOTHER STEP CLOSER DE LA HOYA, VARGAS FINALLY AGREE ON PAYOFF.Byline: Michael Rosenthal Assistant Sports Editor Noun 1. sports editor - the newspaper editor responsible for sports news newspaper editor - the editor of a newspaper Oscar De La Hoya Oscar de la Hoya (IPA pronunciation: [ˈɑs.kɛɹ dɛ.lɑ.ˈhɔɪ.jɑ][1]) (born February 4, 1973) — nicknamed the Golden Boy and Fernando Vargas Fernando Vargas (born December 7, 1977 in Oxnard, California) is an American boxer and two-time world champion, who won a bronze medal as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata. His nicknames include "Ferocious" and "The Aztec Warrior". have overcome the biggest obstacle in drawn-out negotiations - how to divide what could be a $20 million-plus pot - and will fight on May 4 barring a last-minute snag, the fighters' promoters said Wednesday. Vargas would earn a guaranteed $6 million plus a percentage of pay-per- view profits and De La Hoya La Hoya is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 30 inhabitants. would take home the balance. Now, only details remain. Promoters Bob Arum Robert "Bob" Arum (born December 8, 1931 in New York City) is a Harvard-educated lawyer who helped the White House during President John F. Kennedy's time there. He also worked for the US Attorneys Office for the southern district of New York, in the Tax division. (De La Hoya) and Gary Shaw
The site of the fight has not been determined, although both promoters said it will be in Las Vegas. Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is the leading candidate. ``All the big points have been resolved,'' said Arum arum, common name for the Araceae, a plant family mainly composed of species of herbaceous terrestrial and epiphytic plants found in moist to wet habitats of the tropics and subtropics; some are native to temperate zones. , who made the breakthrough with Shaw over the phone on Christmas Day. ``It's just details now and it seems to me they'll just fall into place. ``I'd be very surprised at this point if it didn't happen.'' Said Shaw: ``We're very close. I'd say it's imminent, although that's a strong word.'' The fighters appeared to reach a deal to meet this past Dec. 8 - paying Vargas $8 million-plus - but De La Hoya withdrew the offer at the last minute. Jerry Perenchio Jerry Perenchio (born December 20,1930) was the former chairman and CEO of Univision, the largest Spanish-language company in the United States. Born Andrew Jerrold Perenchio in Fresno, California, he relocated to Los Angeles where he worked as a young Hollywood talent agent , De La Hoya's then-promoter, reportedly refused to sign off on the deal. Negotiations resumed after De La Hoya had surgery on his left wrist in November and pulled out of his meeting with Roman Karmazin on Dec. 8 at the Olympic Auditorium. Vargas dismissed De La Hoya's original offer of $5 million, with another $1 million going to the winner, but neither side wanted to give up on such a potentially lucrative matchup. Shaw said he remains ``cautious'' even though a deal appears to be near. ``Hopefully, this time, everybody keeps their word,'' he said. The matchup is compelling. De La Hoya (34-2, with 27 knockouts) and Vargas (22-1, 20 KOs) won junior middleweight championships last year and remain two of the sport's biggest names. That, combined with the fact they're both from the Los Angeles area and are engaged in a long-running fued create a marketable backdrop. Organizers believe pay-per-view numbers could exceed 700,000, which would be unusual for a nonheavyeight fight. ``I think it's a megafight,'' Arum said. ``There's tremendous interest in it. The animosity between them is not manufactured and both are from L.A. Oscar has always been a big pay-per-view attraction. And I think fighting Fernando puts the fight at a different level.'' The fighters appear to need one another. De La Hoya has lost two of his past five fights and Vargas hasn't looked sharp since he was knocked out by Felix Trinidad in 2000, setbacks that have tarnished their reputations. Each needs a big-name opponent - to earn big money and give their careers a boost - and not many possibilities exist. ``I've said all along that Fernando wants this fight,'' Shaw said. ``... And I'm told Oscar wants this fight. The only way it's not going to happen is if something unexpected comes up.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Promoters for Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas, left, have made a major agreement that could seal their proposed May 4 fight in Las Vegas. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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